"I'm a little better than her, but she's better when she's in the spotlight" - Cameron Menzies as he lauds girlfriend Fallon Sherrock

Cameron Menzies is having an excellent year. The 35-year-old already managed to qualify for six European Tour tournaments and also recently reached the final at a Players Championship. After some tumultuous years, "Cammy" seems to have made the click to go full steam ahead with his darts career.

"Playing against those world top players the past few years has really helped me," Menzies opens to Het Nieuwsblad. "I used to play a lot of local competitions, but - and I say this without disrespecting those local tournaments - these guys are ten times better. That automatically makes you sharper because if you're not deadly efficient, you just lose every time."

"Now, leading up to the past World Darts Championship, I was throwing my darts at home like I had never thrown them before. Okay, practice sessions are not the same as a match but still.... It was unbelievably good, I didn't know I could do that. It sometimes shocked me myself because I was really throwing 110 average regularly in a very short period of time. At one point I said to myself, "Jesus man, you're actually pretty good at this sport! And that has continued over the past few months, even though I haven't immediately changed anything about how I train or throw or think... It's just: what I do at home, I now also do more often on the floor and even sometimes on a stage. That is, for me, a small miracle."

Menzies currently still works as a plumber, yet he hopes to say goodbye to that job soon to turn pro full-time. "I actually always wanted to become this," he says. "Or no, I'm lying. I dreamed of a career as a professional football player, but if you look at my physique... (rubs his belly). Then you see that that dream could quickly go into the bin. So my plan B worked out well, though, even though I'm still working full-time at the moment."

"However, my boss is helping me with my career. Next week I will probably work Monday through Thursday, but I have asked if I can start half-time. Even though I'm actually thinking about playing darts full time. But on the other hand... On my own, I'd better keep fixing toilets, you know. If there's no darts and nothing else besides that, I'll probably be sitting on my lazy ass watching TV too often. I remember well COVID-19 ... Then it didn't run well for me, I didn't do anything but eat and stuff. But I have now taken the middle way: no longer Monday to Friday, but three days a week. That way I can practice more at times when I want to, and also rest a little more. Sometimes I really feel like I need a break, you know?"

Menzies has been with Fallon Sherrock, one of the best female darters in the world for several years. "Oh Fallon...," says a loved up Menzies. "She helps me tremendously in my career. When we were dating in the beginning, I was in Scotland a lot and she was in England. But we often played against each other then by video calling during practice sessions. And we still do practice together a lot. Honestly: without her I wouldn't be where I am today. She also keeps pressing me to train because we both get lazy if we don't practice so."

"Who is the better of the two of us? I think I'm a tad better, but she's better on stage when you're in the spotlight. She just handles that better. Yes ... she has bigger balls than me (laughs exuberantly). I'm getting better at it, but when it comes down to the marbles in an important match Fallon performs better. Hopefully one day I can keep up with her level in that area."